Apparatus for automatically forming refrigerant blocks



Feb. 5, 1935.

D. MARCUS Er AL V APPARATUS AUTOMATICALLY FORMING REFBIGERANT BLOCKS Filed May 21 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /l// I l/ I l/MM Patented I Feb. 1935 v UNITED" STATE APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATICAILY FORM- ING BEFBIGERANT BLOCKS David A. Marcus and Walter W. Ogler, In, Pasadena, O

aliL, assignors to Nu-Ice Company, Los

Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Nevada Application my 21, 1929, Serial No. 364,738 3 Claims. (01. 62-121) This invention relates to the art of making refrigerant blocks from liqueiiable and solidifiable gases, and relates particularly to the makingv of such refrigerant blocks from carbon dioxide snow.

It is found when certain gases are placed under pressure or liquefied thatby expanding these gases in an insulated chamber the absorption of heat by such expansion will cause the freezing of a portion of the fluid gas introduced into the expansion chamber into the form of a snow. At the present time a commercial refrigerant block is formed byconverting liquid carbon .dioxide into snow form and then pressing this snow into marketable blocks which are adapted to the same use as ice for refrigeration purposes. It is known. that the refrigerant blocks may be made from various other gases, among which oxygen is included, but for the purpose of simplicity the description of the present invention will be confined to its use in the making of refrigerant blocks from an expansion product obtained by expanding carbon dioxide liquid in an insulated expansion chamber.

In the extensively used methods of making carbon dioxide refrigerant blocks, a large loss of gas results from the necessity for handling the carbon dioxide snow in -the open atmosphere," as occurs where the liquid carbon dioxide is,ex-

panded in a chamber until a quantity of snow has been accumulated therein and the chamber then opened so that the accumulated carbon dioxide snow can be taken therefrom and pressed into commercial blocks. It is known that in at least one of the plants now making refrigerant blocks of this character the losses are so great that the operating efficiency compared to the actual amount of carbon dioxide gas converted into liquid form is reduced to 40%.

It is an object of our invention to provide a device for making refrigerant blocks of this character, in which the carbon dioxide gas makes no contact with the external atmosphere until its discharge from the device in the form of refrigerant blocks. It is an object of the invention to provide a device for making carbon dioxide refrigerant blocks, the use of which device accomplishes a large saving of labor as compared to the present labor required in the manufacture of such blocks, and in the use of which device a maximum gas recovery is attained.

An object of the invention is to provide an expansion chamber having means operating therein for forming and ejecting blocks of solid or frozen products resulting from the expansion of a suitable gas within the expansion chamber. A further object of the invention is to provide an expansion chamber having means therein for forming and ejecting refrigerant blocks of this character, such means being so designed as to prevent escape of gas from the expansion chamber during the ejection of the refrigerant material in block form.

- A further object of the invention is to include in such a device as set forth in the preceding paragraph a-movable wall member by which a portion of the expansion chamber may be isolated, having in cooperationtherewith means for compressing the frozen expansion products into blocks and subsequently ejecting such blocks, all

of which operations are performed without sub-r...

stantial loss of gas from the expansion chamber.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear throughoutthe following part of the specification.

Referring to the drawings which are for illustrative purposes only.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a simple device embodying the principles of our invention. I

Fig. 2 is a cross section on a plane represented by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section as indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. 5

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectionshowing the plunger or compression ram of the device illustrated in Fig. 1 in advanced or block-ejecting position.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view showing a device of the character illustrated in Fig. 1, in which device gas outlets are provided in the head of the ram member.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the wall or sleeve member incorporated with the ram, this sleeve member having the function of isolating a portion of the interior of the expansion chamber previous to advance of the ram.

With reference to Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4, our invention provides a wall structure 10 enclosing an expansion chamber 11, the upper portion of which is closed by a cap 12. Projecting from the expan-' sion chamber 11 in upwardly sloped direction is an initial expansion recess or chamber 13 having a valve member 14 at the end thereof for inlet control of liquefied gas through a pipe 15 extending from a source of such gas under pressure sufficient to keep it in liquid form. Insulation is provided for all parts of the device requiring insulation against external heat, but for purpose of the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11,

or in other words, snow builds up in a loose mass or body on the bottom wall 1'7 of the expansion chamber. That portion of the carbon dioxide introduced into'the expansion chamber 11 which does not freeze into snow passes upwardly through a fine mesh screen 18, which may be held between flanges 19 of the wall'mexnber 10 and the cap 12, and thence out through piping 20' which leads to a gas accumulator or gasometer, not shown. 1

, A plunger or ram 22 is adapted to be moved across the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11 from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 1 to the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4. When in the position shown in Fig. 1, the ram 22 is received in a rightwardly extending casing 23 having an end plate 24 equipped with a packing box 25 through which extends a shaft 26 for operation of the ram 22. Extending leftwardly from the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11 is a casing 2'7 which is so aligned with the casing 23 that the forward end 28 of the ram 22 will project thereinto in the manner shown in Fig. 4, the interior of this casing 27 communicating with or forming part of the expansion chamber 11.

A cover or closure means is provided for the outer open end 29 of the casing 27 for preventing escape of gas or snow from the interior of the expansion chamber, this closure means being shown in the form of a cylinder 30 having a flat or gasketed end portion 31, as may be desired, and being connected to a piston 32 which is operated within a cylinder 33 by introduction of fluid under pressure through either aninlet pipe 34 or an inlet pipe 35, the flow of fluid in the pipes 34 and 35 being controlled bya four-way valve 36 having an inlet pipe 360. and an exhaust pipe 37a. The cylinder 33 is provided with a head 38 at its outer end and a packing device 39 at its inner end, through which packing device the member 30 is moved by the piston 32.

With the closure member 30 in a position tight against the end 29 of the casing 27 and with the ram 22 retracted into the casing 23, let it be assumed that the valve 15 is open so as to introduce liquid carbon dioxide into the expansion chamber 11. As previously described, a body of carbon dioxide snow will be built up in the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11, this body of snow resting on the lower wall 17 of the chamber 11 so as to be in the path of movement of the ram 22.

Without interruption of the introduction of liquid carbon dioxide into the expansion chamber 11, a four-way valve 40 is manipulated to introduce fluid under pressure through a pipe 41 into the space 43 at the outer end of a cylinder 42, behind a piston 44 which is slidable in the cylinder 42 and is so connected to the shaft 26 that it will move the ram 22 across the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11 into the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4.

During its forward movement, the ram 22 forces carbon dioxide snow into the casing 2'7 and compresses such snow into the form of a block having a cross section corresponding to the interior shape of the casing 27, or in other words, corresponding to the cross section of the ram 22, it being recognized that the blocks may be made square, as shown, or round or polygonal, as desired.

The density of the block of carbon dioxide snow formed in this manner is determined by the pressure with which the ram is moved in forward direction by the piston 44; therefore it is possible to control the density through control of the fluid pressure created within the outer portion of the cylinder 42 for moving the piston 44 in leftward direction.

The casing 2'7 is equipped with vent holes 45, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4, through which carbon dioxide gas may escape from the interior of the casing 27'and from the body of carbon dioxide snow being compressed therein, into an inner peripheral space 46 formed by a jacket 4'7. The gas passes through the outlets 45 into the space 46 and thence through a pipe 48 which connects into the pipe 20 leading to the gasometer. This method of compressing the carbon dioxide snow into a casing or cylinder having a plurality of small vent holes therein eliminates the formation of noticeable cracks which are found in carbon dioxide refrigerant blocks formed in accordance with the old methods of manufacture.

After compression of carbon dioxide snow into the form of a block within the casing 27, the valve 36 may be manipulated to release the pressure behind the piston 32 and to introduce fluid under pressure through the pipe 35 so as to move the piston 32 and the member 30 back into the positions indicated by the dotted lines 49 and 50, and the piston 44 may then be advanced to substantially the position indicated by the dotted lines 51, resulting in the movement of the ram 22 into its extreme leftward position with the end 28 thereof substantially at the end 29 of the casing 2'7, the ram 22 by this movement ejecting the block of refrigerant which has been previously formed in the casing 27.

During the formation and ejection of the refrigerant block the accumlation of carbon dioxide snow has been continued within the expansion chamber 11 so that when, by manipulation of the four-way valve 40, fluid is again introduced under pressure through piping 52 to the forward end of the cylinder 42 and the piston 44 is returned to its position at the rightward end of the cylinder 42 whereby to return the ram 22 to its original position, a mass of carbon dioxide snow will drop down into the path of the ram 22. Whether or not the amount of carbon dioxide snow accumulated during the forming of a refrigerant block and ejection thereof will be sufficient for the immediate forming of another block is dependent, of course, entirely upon the rapidity with which the carbon dioxide snow is accumulated in the expansion chamber 11.

It will be recognized that by the equipment previously described the formation of carbon dioxide snow and the conversion thereof into refrigerant blocks may be made substantially continuous.

The ram 22 is preferably of such length that when in leftward or ejecting position it will extend, as shown in Fig. 4, from the end 29 of the casing 2'7 to a point beyond the rightward extremity 53' of the expansion chamber 11; and, being made of cross section to substantially fill the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11, this ram 22 also forms a closure means for preventing escape oi carbon dioxide from the expansion chamber 11 during the ejection ofa refrigerant block from the casing 2'7. Also, the ram termine the length of block compressed 'within' the casing 27. Should the block formed in the casing 2'7 by an initial movement of the ram 22 be of insufllcient length, one or more additional reciprocations of the ram may be made without opening of the closure member 30 until a refrigerant block of desired length is built up in the casing 2'7. 7

In Fig. 5 we show an alternate method of releasing gas from the casing 27 and the snow being compressed therein during the formation of a refrigerant block, by the use of openings 58 through the head 59 of the ram 22 so that the gas may pass out through such openings 58 through the interior of the ram 22 and thence into outlet piping 60 which connects into piping 61 extending from the upper end of the expansion chamber 11 to a gasometer, not shown. Valve flaps 63 may be provided at the inner ends of the openings 58.

Our invention also includes, as shown in Fig. 6, a wall member 64 adapted to segregate the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11' in such a manner as to segregate in such lower portion'of the chamber a mass of carbon dioxide snow and to hold this snow positively in the path of movement of a ram 65. The wall member 64 is made preferably in the form of a sleeve which encloses a piston or ram 65 and is adapted to be retracted from the extended position in which it is shown in full lines in Fig. 6 into a position within a casing 66, as indicated by dotted lines 67, the movement thereof being accomplished by a rod 68 extending through a packing device 69 carried by an end plate '70 of the cylinder 66. The

'ram 65 is "operated by a rod '71 which extends through the end 72 of the sleeve64 and through the packing device 69.

In the operation of the device carbon dioxide snow is allowed to accumulate in the lower portion of the expansion chamber 11. By external manipulation of the rod 68 the sleeve 64 is moved from position within the cylinder 66 to the position in which it is shown in full lines. In this position, the sleeve 64 has segregated a portion of the accumulated carbon dioxide snow, or in other words, has surrounded a portion of the snow by a wall member through which the blocking ram travels. In the customary manner the ram 65 may be moved leitwardly from theposition in which it is indicated in Fig. 6, thus compressing the carbon dioxide snow trapped in the sleeve 64 into the form of a block. When the closure member 30- is removed from its opera tive position, shown in Fig. 6, and the ram 65 further advanced to eject the refrigerant block,'.

the gas outlets will be closed by the ram 65 so as to prevent escape of carbon dioxide gas] inwardly through the openings 45. The lowerportion of the expansion chamber 11 will also be closed against escape of gas by the sleeve 64.

Herein we have described our invention in operative and practical form, but it is recognized that certain parts 'or elements thereof are representative of other parts,v mechanisms, or elements which may be employed to accomplish substantially the same results in substantially the same manner; therefore it is intended that the.

invention shall not be limited to the details herein disclosed but shall have the scope of the following claims.

I We claim as our invention:

1. A device of the character described, including: walls forming an expansion chamber; means for accumulating solidified gas within said expansion chamber; a ram movable across a portion of said expansion chamber, there being walls providing a recess into which said ram is retracted; a casing projecting from said expansion chamber in alignment with the movement of said ram, said casing having an end opening;

means for removing gas from said casing during the compression of solidified gas theremby said ram; a closure member cooperative with the end opening of said casing; fluid operated means for moving said closure member relative tosaid opening of said casing; and iluid actuated means for moving said ram toward said casing.

2. A device of the character described, including: walls forming an expansion chamber; means for accumulating solidified gas within said expansion chamber; a ram movable across a portion of said expansion chamber, there being walls providing a recess into which said ram is retracted; a casing projecting from said expansion chamber in alignment with the movement of said ram, said casing having an end opening; a jacket around said casing forming a chamber, there being small openings through the wall of said casing from the interior of said casing to said chamber formed by said jacket; means for removing gas from said chamber formed by said jacket; a closure member cooperative with the end opening of said casing; fluid operated means.

for moving said closure member relative to said opening of said casing; and fluid actuated means,

for moving said ram toward said casing.

3. A block forming device of. the character described, including: a ram member; walls forming a casing into which said ram member is movable, said walls having a plurality of small openings therein for the escape of gases from the interior of said casing; a-jacket with said casing for collecting gases which have escaped through saidopenings from material being compressed in said casing by said ram; and means for conducting such gases to a recovery receptacle.

DAVID A. MARCUS. WALTER W. OGIER, JR. 

